Steam-utilizing plant.



T. D. NUTTALL.

STEAM UTILIZING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I915. 1 247,566. Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

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STEAM UTILIZING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED MAYS, I915,

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

T. D. NUTTALL.

STEAM UTlLlZlNG PLANT.

APPLICATION man MAY 5,1915.

1 ,247,566 Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

lNVENTO/7 THDM 195 00 w/v HHM N a 1-7/1 L L 3/ j THOMAS DOWNHAM NUTTALL,OF BTJ'RY, ENGLAND.

STEAM-UTILIZING PLANT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N 0v. 20, 191 *7.

Application filed May 5, 1915. Serial No. 26,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DOWNHAM L a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residin at-Park View, 'W'almersley Road, Bury, in t e county ofLancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements inSteam-Utilizing Plants, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus employing steam both for motive powerand for drying, or other analogous purpose, in cases where two, or more,machines and their adjuncts are employed, and the object of my inventionis to effect economy and eflicient utilization of power and heat in theworking of such apparatus by arranging, as far as is practical, anequipoisc between the power and heat requirements of the apparatus,under varying conditions of work, the arrangement being such that theoperation of the apparatus is facilitated by enabling either, 01' any,of the machines, or of the combinzv tion of machines constituting units,to be run, if desired, at any required speed relatively to the othermachine, or unit, or machines, or units, and so that any machine, orunit, can be kept in operation pending repair of its main driving means.

My invention is intended more'especially for use in connection withpaper-making apparatus and I will describe it as employed in suchconnection from which its other analogous applications will also beunderstood.

According to my invention, instead of, as usual, driving the whole ofthe pulp-preparing devices of the apparatus such as kneaders, breakers,heaters, refiners, and general preparatory devices from one powergenerating center such as one large steam engine, turbo-generator, orother source of power and driving the papenmakin parts proper, such asthe pumps, the stu -chest stirrers, wire traverse and shake, wetpresses, drying cylinders and calenders and also the rewinders, if suchbe used, of the several machines by separate steam engines, or byelectrical motors taking their current from the main generating center,I provide a separate steam engine, for driving the said pulp-preparingdevices, appertaining to each ma chine (or unit constituted by two, ormore, combined machines) and for providing power for driving thepaper-making parts proper, of all of the several machines, or

units, these separate steam engines being supplled wlth steam from onecommon steam supply pipe, and the said engines, or any desired number ofthem, exhausting their steam into one common exhaust pipe from whichbranches lead to the respective drying cylinders, the motion for thepaper-making parts proper of each machine, or unit, being obtained fromelectric motors, respectively for the variable speed portion and for theconstant speed portion, the said motors receiving their current from anelectric distributcr or switch board supplied by electric generatorsdriven from the aforesaid several steam engines the electric connectionsof these electric generators being carried to a distributer orswitch-board, or the like, common to all, so that electric current canbe conveyed from this common source to all, or any, of the firstmentioned electric motors to operate all, or any required number, of theseveral papermaking machines, or units, as required, each variable speedmotor being of any known or suitable kind provided with shuntresistances by which the speed of driving each machine, or unit, can beregulated as 1'e quired as is well known. The exhaust steam from theseveral steam engines, or from any required number of them, is, asaforesaid, conveyed to one common exhaust pipe and thence to therespective drying cylinders, the steam passages being so controlled, byvalves, or the like, that the steam from the said exhaust pipe can beconveyed to all, or any, of the drying cylinders as may be required.

The common steam pipe and the common exhaust pipe are connected witheach other by a pipe, or passage, ymovidod with an automatic valve whichopens on the pressure in the supply of exhaust steam to the dryingcylinders decreasing below any predetermined point so that live steam tokeep up the requisite pressure, is then automatically supplied from thelive steam pipe. The common exhaust pipe is provided with an automaticrelief-valve which will open if the supply of exhaust steam to thedrying cylinders should increase above a predetermined amount, forinstance if the supply of exhaust steam should exceed the requirementsof the drying cylinders. The excess steam which thus passes through thereliefvalve may be delivered to any required place, such, for instance,as to the hot-well for supplying the steam boilers, or to theatmosphere.

By connecting, or linking, together the steam engines, both as regardstheir output of power and their output of heat as represented by theexhaust steam, I obtain a practical equipoise between the powerrequirements and the heat reipiircments of the apparatus as a wholeunder the varying conditions which apply in work.

By my invention I minimize stoppage due to breakdown; for instance, ifthe engine, or motor, of any machine, or unit, should fail, those of theother machines, or units, can temporarily take up the work of thatparticular machine, or unit, if the driving means be suitablyproportioned, because if, for example, in paper-making apparatus, anengine of one machine, or unit, should fail its papermaking parts propercan temporarily take current from the common electric distributer. orswitch-board and the pulp-preparing devices, appertaining to suchmachine, or unit, can be coupled up, by any suitable arrangement ofclutches and shafting so as tobe driven temporarily from the engine, orengines, of the other machine, or unit, or machines, or units. ()r thepulppreparing devices may be driven indirectly from the steam enginesthrough electric motors obtaining their current from the common electricdistributer, or switch-board so that, if the engine of a machine, orunit, should fail, the pulp-preparing devices thereof can be temporarilydriven by current obtained from the common electric field. In eithercase efficiency of the apparatus as a whole will be maintained.

A great advantage of an arrangement according to my invention is theefiiciency and economy due to the balancing. of the power and heatrequirements of the installation, whereby, under all ordinary workingconditions, the maximum of power and of drying, or analogous effects,will be obtained from the steam.

It will be understood that the require ments, as regards driving andheat, will vary with varying conditions, such as, for instance, inpaper-making apparatus, the class of paper being made. Where great heatis required all the steam engines may be non-condensing engines as alltheir exhaust steam can be utilized in the drying cylinders, but wherethe heat required is relatively small some of the steam engines may becondensing engines, or other prime motors.

The accompanying drawings are diagrammatic plans illustratingarrangements in accordance with my invention, Figure l illustrating anarrangement of six units of one machine each wherein the pulp-preparingdevices are driven direct from the steam engines and Fig. 2 illustratingan arrange ment, (in which four units of one machine each are shown)wherein the pulpn'eparing (ilevices are operated by electric lllOtUlb'driven by electric current. obtained from a common distributor, orswitchboard supplied by translating devices driven by the steam engines.Fig. 3 is a section of a clutch and pulley connection, as hereinafterdescribed.

These diagrams are only examples of how arrangements according to myinvention as defined by the claims, may be carried out, and I do not, ofcourse, limit my claims of invention to these precise arrangements.

Referring first to F ig. 1; A to A, represent the pulp-preparingdevices, a to a the pulp vats, and B to B, the paper-making partsproper, of the respective units. I provide a number of non-condensingsteam engines (C to C), corresponding to the number of units A to A",and B to B. The pulp-preparing devices, appertaining to the respectiveunits, are driven by any suitable gear, as indicated at (.6 to d. Thesaid steam engines also drive electric generators c to c, from which theelectric current is taken by the leads 7 to f, to a common switch-boardat G, which may be of any ordinary kind. Current is taken from thiscommon source by leads k to h, to constant speed electric motors(indicated at 2" to 2'"), which drive the devices of the paper-makingparts proper which require to be driven at constant speed. Current isalso taken from 100 the said common source to variable speed electricmotors (indicated at 7' to j) which drive the devices of thepaper-making parts proper which require to be driven at vari able speed.

The steam engines C to C, are supplied with steam from a live steam pipeL, common to all and the exhaust pipes m to m from the said steamengines lead to a pipe M, common to all, and from this pipe M, 110branch pipes, 11. to n, lead to the drying cylinders indicated at N toN. Between the live steam pipe L, and the exhaust pipe M, is acommunicating pipe I, provided with an automatic valve 7), for thepurpose 115 aforesaid.

In Fig. 2 the parts which correspond with those shown in Fig. 1 aremarked with the same letters of reference. The steam engines C to C,instead of driving the pulp 120 preparing parts directly, drive only theelectric generators Q to Q", from which leads 9 to g take current to theswitchboard at G, and, from this proceed leads 8 to s which feed theelectric motors r to 125 T, which respectively drive the pulp-preparingparts of each unit, the current for driving the paper-making partsproper being also taken from the said switch-board as in the arrangementFig. l.

It will be readily understood that the various driving means can beprovided withany suitable arrangements of clutches by which they can beconnected with, and disconnected from, each other as required so that,for instance, if a steam engine should break down the parts of the unitwhich it worked can be temporarily worked by power supplied by, or from,the other steam engines. This is efl'ected by the steam enginestransmitting their power to the line shaft, common to all, by means ofthe pulleys t to t which are arranged each with a friction clutch sothat the pulleys can be connected with, or disconnected from the saidshaft as desired. Fig. 3 is a section of one of these combined pulleysand clutches. t is the pulley. at is the outer casing of the frictionclutch on which the pulley is secured. o is the fixed bracket secured tothe main housing of the shaft, 'w is the circular fixing bolted to thesaid bracket on which the pulley 23 rotates. When the pulley isdisconnected from the shaft only the internal part of the frictionclutch rotates and when the clutch is engaged the pulley is in drivingconnection with the shaft.

In cases where more power is required than is obtainable from the steamused for heating, the extra power can be obtained from any suitablemotors such as condensing steam engines, or gas, or oil, engines and incaseswhere more heat is required than is supplied by the exhaust steamfrom the noncondensing steam engines the extra heat. can be obtainedfrom live steam, or from other available source, and it will be readilyunderstood that other variations in the general arrangements can be madewithout departing from the nature of my invention.

What I claim is:-

1. In a steam utilizing plant, a group of steam driven engines, a groupof electric generators driven thereby, a current distributer common tosaid generators, a group of electric motors connected to saiddistributer, a group of independent working apparatus driven by saidmotors, a common exhaust from said steam engines and a groupofindependent utilizing apparatus connected to said common exhaust,whereby upon the failure of portion of the steam driven engines theoperation of the working apparatus and exhaust steam utilizing a paratusof theplant will not be interrupted 2. In a steam utilizing plant, agroup of independent working apparatus, an operating power source commonthereto, a group of independent steam engines furnishing power in commonto said source, a common exhaust from said engines, and a group ofutilizing apparatus connected to said common exhaust, whereby upon thefailure of a part of said steam engines, the Work thereof is assumed bythe remainder and the operation of the plant as a whole maintainedwithout interruption, substantially as described.

3. In a steam utilizing plant, a group of heavy-service units, a groupof steam driven engines for operating the same, a group of electricgenerators driven by said engines, a current distributer common to saidgenerators, a group of light-service units, a group of electric motorsconnected to said distributer for operating said light-service units, acommon exhaust for said steam engines and a group of steam utilizingunits connected to said common exhaust, whereby upon the failure ofportion of the steam driven engines the operation of the various unitswill not be interrupted. 4. In a steam utilizing plant, a group of steamdriven engines, a transmission system common thereto, a group ofheavy-service units driven through said transmission system, a group ofelectric generators driven by said engines, a current distributer commonto said generators, a group of lightservice units, a group of electricmotors connected to said distributer for operating said light-serviceunits, a common exhaust for said steam engines and a group of steamutilizing units connected to said common exhaust, whereby uponthefailure of portion of the steam driven engines the operation of thevarious units will not be interrupted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

I THOMAS DOWNHAM NUTIALL. Witnesses:

G. F. Trson",

VINCENT Smnnnnm.

